How to Host a Blind Wine Tasting

September 05, 2013

| Posted by Heather for Sutter Home

Reds, Whites, dry or sweet - are you ever unsure about what types of wine to serve your friends? A blind wine tasting party is a helpful (and fun!) way to figure out what wines your friends prefer so you always have their preferred Sutter Home wine ready when they come over. Just follow our tips for an evening filled with entertainment, great wine and memories.

Get Everyone Involved. There’s no need for you to provide all of the wine (where’s the fun in that?); ask your guests to bring their favorite bottle of wine, or one that they think the crowd will enjoy. Don’t forget, there are 20 different Sutter Home wines to choose from!

Disguise the Bottles. Or hide the labels in some way – this creates the “blind” aspect in your blind wine tasting party. Your bottle-disguises can be as simple as paper bags with numbers drawn on, printable label covers or (if you’re feeling a little crafty) DYI bags!

Serve Snacks. Your guests may be a little hungry when they arrive so serve up some tasty appetizers throughout the evening. You can see all of our favorite recipes on our Pinterest board, all of which pair perfectly with different types of wine.

Be Prepared. Along with food, there are a few other things your party will require:

One wine glass per person

Tasting cards so everyone can write down their thoughts about each wine (you can even print out our version below!)

Plain crackers or bread for participates to cleanse their palates between tastings

A way to rinse glasses between each tasting

Tally the Scores. Which wine was voted the best tasting by your group? Take notes on which White, Red and Pink wines were the top rated and keep a bottle of each on hand - just in case someone drops by on short notice!

After the tastings are over, let everyone peek at all the bottles and pour a glass of their favorite wine as the evening continues! Have you ever been to a tasting party that followed a different flow? We’d love to hear about different variations in the comments below!

Want to print our tasting card? Simply click on the image and print the page it opens in!